For all of the long fought nights, for all of the days soldiers knowing it could be their last. The flag stands for them. The red white and blue stripes bring determination to all of America. Every time the National Anthem is playing–or the Star Spangled Banner– every soul is showing respect for the lives that have fought.

The flag  stands for the freedom granted to the citizens of America through these sacrifices made before us. The flag stands proud of the dedication and determination of soldiers who fought for it to still be standing today.

The red stripes– This stands for the thousands of lives lost on every shore line or field. The red stripes represent the American blood lost on June 6th, 1944. Thousands of soldiers, blindly running into hundreds of silver bullets raining down from the hedge. Every soldier grants freedom for future generations. 

The white stripes– Each stripe represents the lives taken away when becoming enlisted. The countless wives raising their children alone, knowing the father could never come home. The perfect lives some soldiers give up, all in making America a better place. 

The blue– Each star, surrounded by a beautiful blue, represents the sorrow in these men's lives, unable to be with their families. The sorrow in the widow hearing the news and receiving the red white and blue–what he fought for. The broken hearts of friendships being stolen from them, while fighting for people they have never met. 

The flag stands for the past fights and for the future freedom ahead of us. It stands for lives lost and the freedom given to what were the hopeless men and women of America. The American flag gives me the dedication and will to dream big, because that's what every lost soul would want every single American to do. The flag stands for them.